tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post8132614194428496503..comments2024-03-19T03:02:38.228-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: The Ads of Dragon: RavenloftJames Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-19076902257852755682011-07-21T13:04:42.020-04:002011-07-21T13:04:42.020-04:00Ravenloft: a module I remember with great fondness...Ravenloft: a module I remember with great fondness, though I never had the opportunity to either play or run it (though I still dream from time to time). Unlike most of my other RPG purchases, I read this one cover to cover several times.<br /><br />When they first appeared I thought the Hickman adventures were a quantum leap forward in terms of adventure modules. In many ways, this adventure and the somewhat earlier I3: Pharaoh, still represent for me masterpieces of adventure design.<br /><br />On a peripherally related note, I was quite surprised to discover on the latest trip to my FLGS (Toronto’s Legends Warehouse, formerly Sci-Fi World) that in the new “Essentials” re-envisioning of 4E (a topic about which I’m still quite ambivalent) the Shadowfell – which as a dark echo of the mortal world was an idea I thoroughly liked – has suddenly morphed into a new version of Ravenloft, complete with Domains of Dread and Darklords. Not a development I expected or really wanted, even though I always liked “Ravenloft” as a campaign-setting concept.JBMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13915780514486101083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-40015759137744161062011-07-16T14:07:51.568-04:002011-07-16T14:07:51.568-04:00I'm not sure why the ad (as opposed to the mod...<i>I'm not sure why the ad (as opposed to the module) shows D&D casting off its origins.</i><br /><br>Maybe I'm reading too much into it <i>ex post facto</i>, but the ad strikes me as both very focused on a pet NPC -- Strahd -- which is quite different than most earlier modules, where there were antagonists, yes, even memorable ones, but they weren't what sold the module.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-4722335147029365822011-07-16T01:23:45.995-04:002011-07-16T01:23:45.995-04:00Even after all this time whenever someone says ...Even after all this time whenever someone says 'vampire' to me, this is the first image that pops into my head...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-10054354393969684292011-07-15T22:42:19.798-04:002011-07-15T22:42:19.798-04:00I'm not sure why the ad (as opposed to the mod...I'm not sure why the ad (as opposed to the module) shows D&D casting off its origins. It seems to have always had a strong horror movie influence.anarchisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05546197561922726279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-59150008514748541572011-07-15T10:52:26.809-04:002011-07-15T10:52:26.809-04:00Loved this module and still do. For a somewhat-scr...Loved this module and still do. For a somewhat-scripted adventure, it's exceptionally well done.Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01254215329246851683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-66397267985371278372011-07-15T02:42:37.452-04:002011-07-15T02:42:37.452-04:00Jones, Konami did this again with the cover of Met...<b>Jones</b>, Konami did this again with the cover of <i>Metal Gear</i>, which features Solid Snake... or is it a shot of Michael Biehn from <i>The Terminator</i>?thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-9654692493439283922011-07-14T13:38:13.162-04:002011-07-14T13:38:13.162-04:00Heh. Behind the scenes at old TSR, this was a majo...Heh. Behind the scenes at old TSR, this was a major thing for the designers, as it was an ad for an adventure module (as opposed to, say, a campaign or rule set), and was done in-house. Designer Tracy Hickman was deeply involved (up to providing the header and text) in making this happen.Jeff_Grubbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16326936187418519745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-38821211060295472822011-07-14T10:41:37.573-04:002011-07-14T10:41:37.573-04:00Played the hell out of Catslevania. Hadn't sti...Played the hell out of Catslevania. Hadn't still picked up a copy of Ravenloft. Homebrew enthusiast.Brooser Bearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08487438364129415650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-289407794333231092011-07-14T10:19:50.290-04:002011-07-14T10:19:50.290-04:00As a kid I was shocked by the cover of Castlevania...As a kid I was shocked by the cover of Castlevania 2 which brazenly plagiarizes the cover of Ravenloft. http://www.castlevaniadungeon.net/Images/Scans/CV2/box-cv2.jpg<br />Kids are more sensitive about these things.Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00352968793565091524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-40834325651900203732011-07-14T10:17:59.270-04:002011-07-14T10:17:59.270-04:00I remember this ad. I knew this was a module I ha...I remember this ad. I knew this was a module I had to get and I was not disappointed.<br /><br />Today I still like it, I just like to run it with systems other than AD&D like <a href="http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/search/label/black%20rose" rel="nofollow">True20</a> or <a href="http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2011/04/s-is-for-strahd.html" rel="nofollow">Unisystem</a>.Timothy S. Brannanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-35200318154633807632011-07-14T09:21:00.969-04:002011-07-14T09:21:00.969-04:00And $6 was so expensive! I could get two paperbac...And $6 was so expensive! I could get two paperbacks for that price, with something left over.trollsmythhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01895349218958093151noreply@blogger.com